being both good and profitable for the hunters Verily the couetous rich man liueth continually in great suspition feare least that his substance be taken from him or that he be beguiled of it or forced to depart with it against his will so that euery shadow séemeth a Bugbeare vnto him euery little stirring in the house disquieteth him so that both at home in his chamber and abroade in his iourney he is neuer without suspition not vnlike the man that is ielous of some woman whom he loueth Whereas the poore man not hauing his brest loaded with such feare and féeling himselfe to bee light in his iourney standes not in doubt to be robbed As that common verse sayeth The man that trauelling by the way no wealth with him doth beare Amids the troopes of theeues may sing not hauing cause of feare AND doubtlesse if it be well considered of the poore man hath but one care which is to procure a little sustenance wherewith to liue but the rich man hath thrée thoughts and cares together The one to conserue the riches that he hath the other how to encrease them the third how to dispose theÌ„ through which it comes to passe that the poore man is replenished with greater hope then feare and of the other part the rich man is assailed more with feare then hope He alwaies hopeth to change his poore estate and miserable fortune into the better béeyng already placed in the lowest degrée that Defilus sayde wâ—ll The man that is most poore most happy is of all For that he neuer feares in worse estate to fall This alwayes doubteth least that his swéete will bee transformed into sower through which it is euident that the poore féeleth a greater tranquillity in his minde being replenished with hope then doth the riche being surprised with feare What farther That pouerty bringeth foorth more woorthy effects then riches not onely in it selfe but in others also For pouerty rayseth pitie compassion in others which are most beautifull vertues in mans minde but riches inflame and stirre them vp to enuie which is a most wicked vice Wherefore if good effectes come of good causes and nanghtie of naughtie causes it is verie likely that pouertie is more vertuous that ingendereth vertue then are riches that produce vices in others What more shal I say that riches procure delightes delightes tendernes and delicasie of the bodie tendernesse and delicasie causeth weakenes and faintnesse through which it happeneth that rich men are lesse able to tollerate trauel heate and colde and other humaine discommodities then the poore are who by a patience perforce are taught to endure all labour and trauell and euery little impression of the ayre neyther are brought down w t euery litle trifling disease as the rich are What farther Riches ingender faintnesse of courage in the possessors of them in that for feare of abandoning of them they wil not aduenture to hazard them selues in any daunger neither for their friendes nor for their kinred nor countrie neither yet for themselues but are alwayes of a timerous and fearefull minde But the poore man not drawne backe with the ielosie of this worldly pelfe sheweth his valure boldely and couragiously exposeth himselfe to perils and daungers for the loue of his freendes countrie What besides this Abundant riches make men sluggish not suffering them to awake to any good exercise wheras pouerty seldom permits them to stand drowsie and idle but awakens them to beautiful inuentions and laudable trauels But let vs consider one point that toucheth rich men to the quicke but the poore nothing so muche All men both by the law of God and nature of necessity must once die But he that aboundes in riches with what griefe and torment doeth he depart this life hee would not leaue his fayre house his gallant village his costly apparrel his braue horses his bright siluer his glittering gold and other infinite commodities and delights that he tasteth in this world which séeing that he must néedes forgoe he is out of measure vexed and through inward griefe killes himselfe before the houre of his death approch But the poore man who takes litle ioy in this world makes no great reckoning to leaue it not tasting that bitter sorow with dying which the rich men féele hoping to inioy a better life in the world to come The poore also in this world haue great consolation and it is no smal comfort vnto them to think that the rich wil they nil they must die and that they are forced in spite of their téeth to forgoe al theyr substance Neither will we omit to say that somtimes honest pouerty bringeth with it more liberty contentment of life then vnmeasurable riches for that is franke and frée this is tyed and bounde to respects and suspitions So that now we perceaue that al is not pleasant delightful that is found in riches nor al vnsauery and bitter that is tried in pouerty but in this much of the swéete and in the other not a litle of the sowre in both séene felt and tasted Now let vs procéed a litle farther And if yée thinke it good let it be graunted that pouerty is euill and contemptuous and hath in it no consolatioÌ„ but truely it hath in it all these comforts of which we haue before made mention which béeing well tasted of the poore man hée shall féele no litle contentment in his pouerty let this be considered farther that he is not onely poore that this euill is not taken from all others and cast on him alone but the number of the poore are vnnumerable when as of the riche there are very few Through which if to haue company in ones aduersity make the euill to séems the lesse howe light should the euil of pouerty be the poore man hauing so great a number of other poore men to associate him Let vs consider farther that pouertie doth not alwayes pinche but onelie then when he féeleth the want of some thing that he greatly néedeth It is not like a quotidian Agewe which whiles it endureth alwayes vexeth and tormenteth a man but this yéeldes the rest and repose first whilest thou sléepest thou hast no féeling of her whereof this auncient Prouerbe tooke his original That in one halfe of theyr life there was no difference betwixt the happy and vnfortunate Further many houres of the day a man thinkes not of it but liues ioyfully as if he were rich and in good case I haue séene many poore men leade their liues so iocundly as did neuer king nor Emperour On the other side I haue knowne many rich men haue theyr myndes alwayes troubled and disquieted as if they were wrapped in extréeme want and misery neuer to laugh neuer to be gladsome nor ioyful wherby I haue noted that the true tranquillity of the mynde springs not of thinges that are without vs but of that delectable musicke and well tempered harmonie of the humayne affections
most part of them haue their mindes so encumbred with riches y â— it is very hard for them to attaine saluation therefore Christ said it is lesse easie for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of heauen theÌ„ for a Camel to passe thorow the eie of a needle For hée whose affection is greedily set on riches seldome thinkes reuerently of God but so fixeth his desire on earthly things y t he makes himselfe vnworthy of the glory of heauen preferring mundane vanitie before Gods veritie Wheras Christ teaching christian perfection saieth otherwise to the Hebrew young man Goe and sell that which thou hast and giue it to the poore after follow mée Truely pouertie is a dowrie most conuenient for a Christian Therfore when yee know your selues to bee poore bée yée not comfortlesse but rather thinke that yée are the more in Gods fauour who in al his sayings and doings recommended the poore praysed them called them blessed and receiued them into his protection being déere and beloued of him so that it is a most goodly thing to liue poorely in this short and transitorie life to become most rich in the life to come which shalbe permaneÌ„t euerlasting to set at naught the false and deceaueable Iewels of this world to gaine most plentifull and abundant treasure in paradise O most worthy marchandise O most plentiful gaine which neither théeues can rob thée of nor seruaunt beguile thée nor debter deceaue thée but will fill and replenish thée with farre greater and better fruite then by the tongue of man may bée expressed What shal I say farther that those thinges are few and very easie to bée procured with which our humane nature is suffised but many and infinite which our appetite desireth And that the grace of God is neuer wanting vnto those who filled with a feruent spirite refraine their earthly affections and restraine them within the limites of Christian temperaunce Wherof Saint Paule writing vnto Timothy most diuinly said It is a great gain of godlines to be coÌ„tented with y â— which is sufficient We brought nothing into this world it is manifest that we shal carie nothing hence with vs. But hauing conuenient foode and apparell let vs content our selues therwith for they that would become rich fall into the snares and temptations of the deuil and into sundry hurtfull and vnprofitable desires which drowne theÌ„ in ruine perditioÌ„ for that couetousnes is y â— roote of al euill which diuers falling into stray from the true fayth and are encombred with many eares and sorowes O wordes worthy to pearce into the liuely heartes of men and so there to bée grounded and grauen that with no earthly force they might euer bée rased out The diuine wordes of Paule being throughly considered of there is no cause wherefore poore men should bée pensiue or sorowfull But wherefore wade I farther in the comforting of them when as it is impossible for mée to say so much but that much more will remaine vnspoken And I am assured I haue scarsly launched out from the shore and am far from being halfe entred from this most profound and large sea And yet herewith I know assuredly that the least part of that which hath béene sayd is sufficient for the quieting and coÌ„forting of any mind that is not become eyther beastly or furious with the prickings or pinchings that pouertie may bring vnto him so that if those thinges which I haue sayde and many other that I could alledge doe not moderate and pacifie him beléeue mée pouertie is not the cause héereof but this distemperate and ill composed mind which also would haue molested him if hée had béene rich For hée would haue found out some other arrow or sworde wherewith to haue thorowe pearced his heart You then who haue your minde stored with so many good lessons of Philosophy comfort your selfe and take all thinges that God sendes in good part hope in him who neuer fayleth nor deceaueth them that put their trust in him Hée will open you the way and minister the meane whereby to cure these woundes of pouerrie at the least hée will teach you how to beare them with patience and peraduenture also will giue you manifestly to vnderstand that it is for your health and consolation Comfort your selfe in that although yée want riches yet want yée not y â— true knowledge bewtie of wit vnderstanding and vertues of the mind which things are more appertinent and proper vnto you then are riches which are placed among the externall things and are no part of you and so much the more comfort your self by how much the giftes of your mind cannot bée taken from you neither by men nor fortune but of your riches and worldly substaunce théeues may spoyle you in a moment Comfort your selfe in y â— yée haue many good friendes which loue you entyrely who will neuer endure to sée you long in poore estate But rather after the maner of true and stedfast friendes will account your pouertie to bée their owne and with some part of their substance will take it from you comfort your self with your bookes which yée were alwaies accustomed to hold in great estimation they will féede and nourish your vnderstanding and with singular declectation alwayes recreate your senses they will pacifie euery stormie and troublesome tempest and both by night and by day within doores and withoâ—t in good fortune and bad will remaine your most faythfull friendes and comfortable companions Finally comfort your selfe in that if pouertie bée euill yet haue yée not this euill by your owne offence or procuremen not by dicing and carding nor by haunting the tauern not by playing the harlot nor by any other sort of lewde lyfe or naughtie behauiour but in euery action your vsage hath béene honest and temperate your minde being no lesse adorned with lawdable customes and conditions then learning Yée are then fallen into this necessitie by the offence of Fortune who as it is not vnknowne to the most part of Rome being enuious at the good course that yée haue taken hath many yeares sithence wounded your body and brought you into a miserable daungerous estat oftentimes euen to death hath also setled letted you back from all good enterprises operatioÌ„s both of body mind in this her rage hath caused you to make far greater expence then your abilitie will reach vnto in such sort that yée are now brought into that miserable estate in which yée now are onely by her sinister procurement so that if with her great outrage there were not ioyned an arrogant impudencie shée would not for very shame of her selfe bée séene any more in the world But besides these consolations let reason necessitie moue you ye afflict your selfe what doth this affliction auaile you is your pouertie taken away by making of so great sorowe as yée do if it were so it were a very good remedie But alas shée is
want the reward yée look for in that first I know very well that not onely by the vniuersal humaine debility but by that which is proper and peculiar to my selfe I finde it so slender in me that of it selfe it geueth no light at all Farther I neuer directed it to the end to receiue guerdon by it being an excercise in my opinion farre different from the neate and pure condition of being good I tel you truely that I haue and doe receaue a farre greater rewarde then that yée desire in me For that litle which I féele in my selfe makes me tast how much the life of the good is more blessed then that of the wicked How this aboundes in swéetnesse tranquillity and consolation how that is y e spring and fountaine of al feares hatreds debates vexations trauels In such sort that when a man wil not for Gods sake do the déedes of an honest man good Christian yet me thinks at the leastwise he should doe it for the quiet comfort that is tasted thereby in this worlde But you will tell mee that rewardes ensue vertue as the shadowe followeth the bodie Nowe as the body béeyng not made too the ende to bring foorth the shadowe neuerthelesse bringeth it foorth so vertue is the cause that rewarde is obtayned although it be not sought for or vsed to that end You would haue mée confesse it I grant it also that I am not arriued through y e mortification of my body quickning of y e spirit to that high degrée and spirituall vnion with which the olde diuine fathers conioyned themselues to God neither am I yet come to that christian perfection which was required in the Hebrewe youngman I haue not solde that little which I haue and giuen it to the poore neither haue I denied my selfe nor taken Christ his crosse on my shoulders and followed him What more that in slacke obseruing of the commaundements of Gods lawe I neither merit nor haue deserued the title of a perfect Christian for that many occurrences haue happened which haue caused mée to wander wide from these diuine obseruations What farther that setting christianitie aparte I am not as a morall Philosoper arriued to that excellencie of manners which are fitting and conuenient for a purifyed minde as in times past was knowne to bée in Aristides in Socrates in Phocion and diuers others with most apparant examples of iustice temperance and fortitude and other rare and diuine vertues But rather my doubt is that as a man that is not gouerned by any learning but lyueth onely by the instinct of nature I want greatly that which is requisite for that estate through which I know not how to chalenge vnto my self these prayses which my conscience telles mée I am vnworthy of And finally as of no part I déeme my selfe praisewoorthy so if there bée any thing in mée that doth not altogether deserue praise it is this that I haue had a care in what I might not to iniurie others then I haue done mine endeuour when occasion hath béene offred mée to pleasure and gratifie as many as I might being induced thereunto by Nature perswaded by precepts of good writers and confirmed therein by iudgement which hath imprinted a setled resolution in my minde and this I account to bée the chiefe fountaine from which al other vertues that maintaine humaine societie amongst vs first flow and procéede Now if those vertues that are requisite to the aduauncing of mée to the degrées of riches and honour be not in me wil ye meruaile if I be not aduaunced And if there be any such in me wherfore doe yée reprehend me ought I in not deseruing those degrées to haue them and deseruing them to bée reprehended for not hauing them If I deserue them not for Gods sake let mée liue with so many others my equalls subiect to the like fortune and adde not the sinne of arrogancie to the want of desart For it is a foolish and presumptuous part for a man to aspyre to those degrées of which hée knowes him selfe vnworthy But if it séeme vnto you y â— I haue deserued theÌ„ it had bene your part rather to coÌ„fort mée theÌ„ reprehend me ye might haue said y â— ofteÌ„times my betters haue beene depriued of the fruites of their desart and prayse that they haue merited and that it is much better to deserue an honour then to haue it For honour may bée receaued by the will of him that giues it vertue not being the guide of it But no man can deserue it but y â— vertue must first make a way to the desart Héerevnto the example of Cato myght bée added who would rather that it should bée demaunded wherefore Images were not set vp to Cato then why they were set vp And if now it séeme straunge vnto you that more then two hundred are gone beyonde mée in preâ—erment yée ought in the best part to enterprete such accidentes and héerein imitate the example of Pedaretus a valiant man with the Spartans who amongst thrée hundred that bare office in their Citie not being elected for one ioyed greatly who being demaunded of his friende Ephorus the cause of his gladnesse pleasauntly aunswered what should I doe but bée ioyfull séeing that there are thrée hundred men in our Citie better then my selfe so shoulde you reioyce of Rome in hauing so many good men that excell mée And ye ought to wish that not onely two hundred but fiue hundred a thousand yea thrée thousand men should passe mée in vertue and wisedome and by consequence in fortune and honour through which I déeme it would come to passe that this our Realme should bée much more florishing and honourable then now it is I doe not seeme to my selfe to bee such a one as should deserue those dignities that yee wishe mee but bee it that I had many of these partes which you cal desart in me neuerthelesse neither coulde I nor shoulde I haue any of these honours but by fauour in that I stande assured that the fountaine from whence these preferments flowe is beyonde and aboue all our merites and desartes But in the ende I know you wil say that beeing often conuersant with them in requesting and beeing importunate I might haue obteined riches and dignitie and that this is the meanes that hath holpen and doeth helpe a number dayly and that it is the very same whereof mention is made by Christe in his Gospel when hee saith Aske and it shall bee giuen you knocke and it shalbe opened What shal I answere heerevnto but that not deseruing it it seemeth an vnaduised part of mée to craue rewarde deseruing it mée thinks it should come without asking As I haue saide so will I say that I knowe not whether I haue deserued it or no. Now if there bee any that thinkes mée worthy of any thing let him request it for mée but not by my commaundement For if I knew that I deserued
blooming trée brings forth When warre and strife yéeld crops of care and woe Rash rancours rage procures fond furious fightes Peace makes men swim in feaes of swéet delights If that this peace bée such a passing thing That it by right may challenge worthy prayse What thankes owe wée vnto our heauenly king Through whome we haue enioyde such happy dayes Next to our Quéene how déepely are wée bound Whose like on earth before was neuer found If England would perpend the bloody broyles And slaughters huge that foraine realmes haue tried It should me séemes by warnd by their turmoyles In perfect loue and concord to abide But out alas my heart doeth rue to tell Small feare of God amongst vs now doth dwell And where that wantes what hope doth els remayne But dire reuenge for rash committed crimes Heapes of mishaps will fall on vs amayne If we doe not lament our sinnes betimes Vnlesse with spéede to God for grace we call I feare I feare great plagues on vs will fall England therefore in time conuert from vice The pleasant spring abides not all the yeere Let foraine ylls forewarne thée to be wise Stormes may ensue though now the coastes be cléere I say no more but onely doe request That God will turne all things vnto the best For Souldiers Ye buds of Brutus land couragious youths now play your parts Vnto your tackle stand abide the brunt with valiāt hearts For newes is carried too fro that we must forth to warfare goe Men muster now in euery place souldiers are prest forth apace Faynt not spend blood to doe your Quéene countrey good Fayre wordes good pay wil make men cast al care away The time of warre is come prepare your corslet speare shield Me thinks I heare the drumme strike doleful marches to the field Tantara tātara y ◠trūpets sound w t makes our harts w t ioy aboūd The roring guns are heard a far euery thing denounceth warre Serue God stand stoute bold courage brings this geare about Feare not forth run faint heart faire Lady neuer woonne Yée curious Carpet knights that spende the time in sport play Abrode sée new sights your coūtries cause cals you away Doe not to make your Ladies game bring blemish to your worthy name Away to field win renoune w c courage beat your enimies down Stoute hearts gain praise when Dastards sayle in slaunders seas Hap what hap shal we sure shal die but once for all Alarme me thinkes they cry be packing mates be gone with spéed Our foes are very nigh shame haue that man that shrinks at néed Vnto it boldly let vs stand God wil geue right the vpper hand Our cause is good we néed not doubt in signe of courage geue a showte March forth be strōg good hap wil come ere it be long Shrinke not fight well for lusty lads must beare the bell All you that wil shun euil must dwel in warfare euery day The world the flesh Diuel alwayes doe séeke our soules decay striue w t these foes w t al your might so shal you fight a worthy fight That cōquest doth deserue most praise wher vice do yéeld to vertues wayes Beat down foule sin a worthy crown then shal ye win If we liue wel in heauen with Christ our soules shal dwell To his friende MUse not too much o wight of worthy fame At view of this my rude ragged rime I am almost enforst to write the same Wherefore forgeue if I commit a crime The cause hereof and how it came to passe I shall declare euen briefly as it was Reuoluing in my mind your friendly face Your bountie great your loue to euery man I heard my wit and will to scan this case If I should write or no thus wil began Take pen in hand thou fearefull wight she said To write thy mind what should make thée afraid Not so quoth wit acquaintance hath he small With him to whō thou bidst him write his mind What tho quoth will that skils nothing at all He writes to one that is to all a friend Him so to be quoth wit none can denie Thou art a foole quoth will then to reply Great cause quoth wit shoulde make him to refraine He would quoth wil declare his friendly heart What if quoth wit he chance to reape disdayne Of such foul fruits quoth wil friēds haue no part Perchance quoth wit it wilbe taken yll Wel meaned things who wil take yl quoth wil He hath no skil quoth wit how should he write Al want of skil quoth will good will supplies I sée quoth wit thou wilt worke him despite For counsell good thou geuest him rash aduice Wit said no more But will that stately Dame Still bad me write not forcing any blame Since will not wit makes me commit offence Of pardon yours the better hope I haue To shew my loue was all the whole pretence That made me write This onely doe I craue In any thing if pleasure you I can Command me so as if I were your man A renouncing of loue AL earthly things by course of kind Are subiect still to reasons lore But sure I can no reasons finde That makes these Louers loue so sore They fry and fréese in myldest weather They wéepe and laugh euen both together Euen now in waues of déepe despaire Their barke is tossed too and fro A gale of hope expels al feare And makes the winde to ouerblow Twixt feare and hope these Louers saile And doubtful are which shall preuayle At night in slumber swéetly laide They séeme to holde their loue in armes Awaking then they are afrayde And féele the force of thousand harmes Then doe they tosse in restlesse bed With hammers woorking in their head A merry looke from Ladies face Bringes them a foote which could not goe A frowning brow doth them disgrace And brues the broth of all their woe Hereby all men may playnely know That reason rules not Louers law But reason doth me thus persuade Where reason wants that nothing frames Therefore this reason hath me made To set aside all louely gaynes Since reason rules not Venus sport No reason bids me scale that forte A will or Testament VVHen dreadfull death with dint of pearcing darte By fatall doome this corpes of mine shal kill When lingring life shall from my life depart I thus set downe my testament and will My faythfull friendes executor◠shall remayne To sée performde what here I doe or dayne To thée O world I first of all doe leaue The vayne delights that I in thée haue found Thy fained shewes wherewith thou didst deceaue Thy fickle trust and promises vnsound My wealth my woe my ioyes commixt w t care Doe take them all doe fall vnto thy share And Satan thou for that thou wert the cause That I in sinne did still mispend my dayes I thée defie and here renounce thy lawes My wicked thoughts my vile and naughty waies And eke my
Gratitude she was That thākful Dame whose custom is frō friend to friend to passe I tooke my pen in hand with purpose to declare The Circumstance of this my dreame w t cloyd my hed with care Herein also I thought her precepts to obey And al the plot of thy deserts most largely to display But when my dreame was done I found such litle store Of paper that I could not haue wherin to write the more ¶ One that had a frowarde Husband makes complaynt to her mother Written in French by Clement Marott AND is there any wight aliue That rightly may compare Or goe beyond me silly wretch In sadnesse and in care Some such may be but this I say One must goe farre to séeke To finde a woman in this worlde Whose griefe to mine is like Or hath so iust a cause of moane In dumps of déepe despite I linger on my loathsome life Depriud of all delight Men say the Phoenix is a birde Whose like cannot bée found I am the Phoenix in this worlde Of that those care doth wound And he that workes me all this woe May be the Phoenix well Of all enraged senslesse wightes That in the earth doe dwell I moane not here as Dido did Being stryken at the heart As woorthy Virgill doeth recorde With dint of Cupids dart Nor in my playnts some Louer name As Sappho did of yore But husband is the cause héereof Which makes my griefe the more For Louers if they like vs not We may cast of agayne But with our husbandes good or bad Till death we must remayne I doe not speake these wordes as if His death I did desire But rather that it might please God His thoughts so to enspire That he might vse me as he ought Or as I doe deserue Since that I him as duety byndes Doe honour loue and serue And séemes it not desert thinke you At his commaund to haue The beauty greate and other giftes that nature to me gaue Ist not desert such one with him In loyall bed to lie As alwayes hath most faythfull byn And will be till shée die To looke on him with chéerefull face to call him Spouse and friend To coll and kisse all this hée hath With franke and willing mynde And all thinges els as God commaunds And duety doth allowe Yet am I dealt with at his handes Alas I know not howe Hée thanklesse man doth ill for good Agaynst all right and lawe Hée had of me good fruitfull Corne And payes mée chaffe and straw For méeke and humble curtesie Fierce cruelty hée geues For loyalty disloyalty And that which most mée grieues Is when in swéete and humble sorte I come to make my moane His heart no more is mollified Then is the Marble stone The cruell Lyon ready bent With pawes and téeth to teare When that the silly Hounde doeth yéelde His malice doeth forbeare When Attalus the Romayne host Did erst subdue in field His heart to mercy was enclinde Assoone as they did yéelde Blacke Pluto eke the Prince of hell Vneasie to bée woone When Orpheus had playde on harpe His rankour all was done By swéetnesse and by curtesie What is not wrought alas Nerethlesse the swéetenesse Feminine Which others all doth passe Can nothing doe before the eyes Of my hardhearted féere The more that I submit my selfe The straunger is his chéere So that in wrongfull cruelty And spite he doth excel The Lions wilde the Tyrants stoute And monsters eke of hel As ofte as I reuolue in mynde The greatnesse of my harmes I thinke how foorth the Fowler goes with swéete and pleasant charmes To take the birds which once betrayd He eyther killes straight way Or kéepes them pende in pensiue cage That flie no more they may And so at first I taken was By his swéete fléering face And now depriude of ioy alas Am handled in like case Now if the birdes as some auouch Doe curse his kéeper still In language his why curse I not The Author of my yll That griefe doeth euer greater harme Which hidden lies in brest Then that which to some faithfull friend By speaking is exprest My sorowes then shall bée reuealde Some stedfast friend vnto My tongue thereby vnto my heart A pleasure greate may doe But vnto whom shoulde I disclose My bondage and my thrall Vnto my spouse No surely no My gaynes shoulde bee but small Alas to whom then shoulde I moane Should I some Louer choose Who in my sorowes and my griefes As partner I might vse Occasions great do counsell me To put this same in vre Mine honour and mine honestie Forbid such rashnes sure Wherefore ye louers al adew Vnto some other goe I will obserue my vowed fayth Though to my greatest foe To whome shal I powre forth my plaints To you most louing mother For they by dutie do belong To you and to none other To you I come to séeke reliefe With moyst and wéeping eies Euen as the heart with thirst opprest Vnto the fountaine hies If any salue in all the world may serue to cure my wound Dame Nature sayes vndoubtedly In you it must be found Now if some succour may be had Assisted let me be But if it lie not in your power Yet spend some teares with me That yours with mine mine with yours Might so kéepe moyst the flowre That erst procéeded from your wombe And wasteth euery houre His Friend W. C. to Mistres F. K. whom he calls his Captaine AS Souldiers good obey their captaines will And readie are to goe to ride or runne And neuer shrinke their duety to fulfill But what they byd it by and by is done So rest I yours good Captayne to dispose When as you please to combate with your foes Your foes sayd I alas what may they be That haue the heart to harme so swéete a wight Who dare attempt to try his force with thée Shall conquerd be ere he begin to fight Let thousand foes agaynst thee come in field Thy beauty great will make them all to yéeld To yéeld sayd I nay rather would they choose By thée subdude to liue in bondage still Then lead such life as Conquerors doe vse In thy disgrace and wanting thy good will But strike the drumme let the trumpet sound To take thy part whole legions wil be found So many eares as euer heard thée speake So many eyes as haue thy feature vewde So many handes thy puysance hath made weake So many heartes thy beauty hath subdued Ech of these eares ech eye ech hand ech heart Swéet Captain stil are prest to take thy part Ech eare to heare when enuy séekes thy foyle Ech eye to spy who worketh thine anoy Ech hand with blade to conquere them in broyle Ech gladsome heart for victory to ioy Thus euery part the trusty friend will play For thy behoofe whom God preserue alway The complaynt of a sinner LIke as the théefe in prison cast With wofull wayling mones When hope of pardon cleane is